NRL: Game of the week

Sam Perrett of the Roosters passes during the round three NRL match between the Sydney Roosters and the Canberra Raiders at Allianz Stadium. Photo / Getty Images

1. Game of the week
Warriors v Roosters
Time to channel the inner Richie Benaud: Two sides that are 2-2 meet tomorrow night, and what a marvellous occasion it should be. At least it will be for one of them. The smart money says the Warriors ($1.48 favourites on the NZ TAB) should be too good for a Roosters side that was humiliated 44-4 last week in Melbourne.

The Roosters also managed to score nil in a defeat by Penrith, however they have beaten the Raiders and Rabbitohs, so aren't complete muppets.

With the Warriors possessing a vastly heavier armoury, ball control would appear to be the key. Sam Rapira is back, while with Kevin Locke injured we may get 2012's first Flying Fish sighting. Young fullback Glen Fisiiahi has jagged nine tries in his last two games for the Auckland Vulcans. The Roosters pack was jelly-like last week, so the return of hard nut Mose Masoe is timely.

2. Casualty ward
To play or not to play, that is the question facing Benji Marshall after two head knocks. With the Tigers digging an early season hole, Marshall must be tempted, however a rush of money on the Rabbitohs forced some Aussie bookmakers to close the market on the match, suggesting Marshall is out.

The Titans and Bulldogs head into round five without their first choice halfbacks, with Scott Prince (arm) and Trent Hodkinson (knee) both banged up. In comes Kris Keating for his first Bulldogs start, while Jordan Rankin moves to seven for the Titans. The Dragons are without centre Matt Cooper (ankle), while Kangaroos test props Matt Scott (Cowboys, torn foot ligament) and David Shillington (Raiders, abdominal muscle) are both out for up to a month and could miss the Anzac Test.

Dual international winger Lote Tuqiri makes his season bow for the Tigers after recovering from an arm injury and Kangaroos/Fiji winger Akuila Uate returns from a hip injury for Newcastle.

3. Kearney Smith
A big week for sack-race leader Stephen Kearney saw the under-fire Eels coach receive unconditional backing from a, er, hose company. Glenn Duncan, the boss of the club's major sponsor Pirtek, made it clear he expected Kearney be given time to fully implement a five-year plan that virtually guaranteed a premiership would be delivered in 2015. "On Stephen's appointment just over 12 months ago, the coaching team prepared a five-year plan that provided very clear direction, pathway to success and measurement indices.

We were happy with the plan that was prepared and what we were hearing about the path they wanted to take so Pirtek was happy to continue as sponsor based on that being implemented." Translation - sack Kearney and the flow of money (huge fluid transfer gag there) from Pirtek might just dry up.

Kearney also received a reassuring pat on the bum from former mentor Craig Bellamy: "Steve is a very level-headed guy," Bellamy said. "He's quite a calm guy."

4. They said it
"Everything I know about Steve is that he is awesome." Kiwis winger Sam Perrett (pictured) gives Kearney his full backing.

Not feeling quite so warm and fuzzy was Magpies legend Tommy Raudonikis when asked for his assessment of Wests Tigers following the club's dorking by the Raiders. "I'm 62 next month and I've had a quadruple bypass, but if I couldn't tackle better than those blokes I'd be embarrassed."

5. The next Karmichael
In news that makes you just want to crawl under a blanket and sob, rising Kiwi star Jason Taumalolo has reportedly decided his heart lieswith the Maroons and Stray-ya. The Junior Kiwis rep was born in Auckland and lived here until he was 15. Now, at 18, the best young player in the game apparently thinks he is a Queenslander.

Maroons coach Mal Meninga says: "When it comes to these matters, it's pretty clear cut. If Queensland have put the time and effort into developing a kid, then he should be playing for Queensland, and ultimately Australia. If New Zealand put in the time and effort, then the kid should play for New Zealand." Well, Mal, the Otahuhu Leopards and Papakura Sea Eagles might have some thoughts on that.

6. I'm taking my talents to...
Auckland. Just kidding. Cooper Cronk's live televised announcement yesterday confirming he would go precisely nowhere contained a touch of the King LeBron James. Word had it that Cronk was miffed when he discovered he was the only one of the Storm's Fab Four not on the salary cap rort gravy train. He appeared to have have been tempted by a pile of Titans cash, but then cooled on the idea when the club's solvency issues were aired.